No comments about Insight Guide Bhutan (1996).

No comments about Delhi, Agra and Jaipur (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

No comments about Indian Heritage Hotels: Legacy of Splendour.

No comments about Off the Deckle Edge: A Papermaking Journey Through India.

1 comments about Nelles Guide India: Northern, Northeastern and Central India (Nelles Guides).

1. Researched and written by local correspondents, Nelles Guides are updated on a regular basis to provide only the very latest information. A well-rounded introduction delves into the culture and history of India, tempting you to explore. The "What to See & Do" section covers everything from sightseeing, driving tours and adventurous excursions, museums and galleries. You'll find detailed entries for restaurants, shopping, entertainment, festivals and more. All accommodations are categorized by price level, making it easy for you to select a place that suits your budget. Practical travel issues - health concerns, currency, transportation, climate & clothing, visa requirements - are also given.

   Illustrated with over 160 color photos and maps. Fully indexed.

   "Recommended.... convenient, very informative and easy to use. Each page features full-color pictures. [Nelles Guides] are helpful for homework assignments and background information." Library Journal, 11/99.

2 comments about All the Way to Heaven: An American Boyhood in the Himalayas.

1. A touching and accurate account of an Indian hill station. The interplay of relationships in a sometimes lonely yet happy place is well described. The dynamics of change in a different culture from a secure, simple way of life to one of more complexity is pleasantly stated. The events of summer with its monsoon rains, bringing out the bugs in such marvelous diversity to the dust and dirt of the plains illustrates the real India. Even some of the more baser elements of those times are humorously brought out. A well done delightful description.



2. Having gone to Woodstock School as well, albeit, many years later (1976-1983) this book was a trip down memory lane for me. It was interesting to see how many things had not changded and that the Author's and my experiences and memories ran parallel. The dust and the heat of the plains are vividly described triggering bittersweet memories of the discomfort. It was interesting to compare and contrast the different perspectives of an American "mish-kid" growing up in India with my own perspective of an Indian boy attending Woodstock School. The author vividly paints a beautiful verbal mural of Mussoorie: describing the incessant monsoon rains, the lush hillside, the species of insects and birds, the breathtaking vistas of the snow-capped mountains to the north. He also succeeds in bringing back to life many things I had forgotten. The thrill of getting a brand new "customized" top at the topwallahs; the acrid atmosphere during the pre-monsoon as the hillsides erupted into flames; the hunger pangs we experienced each time we passed the "mithaiwallah" in the bazaar, hoping for a little treat to offset the bland concoctions we were served at school; the thrill of playing games on the Mount at Ridgewood; and so many more wonderful images. The events detailed are wonderful, however; I wish he would have written more of an introspective autobiography. A definite reccommendation for all of us who hold Mussoorie and Woodstock School close in our hearts.

1 comments about Altai-Himalaya.

1. Disappointing. This book is Nick Roerich's travel diary from the mid 1920s when he went on an artistic expedition around India, China, Mongolia, Russia, Tibet. I found it disjointed and a bit of a grind to read. There's plenty on his being held up by Chinese bureaucracy and of then being forbidden to paint before being sent on his way along the toughest routes by corrupt Chinese bureaucrats. In fact, it sounds like he had a horrendous time while in China and Tibet, e.g. being delayed for weeks at a time by the authorities in temperatures of -50 deg, camped only in Summer tents. He mentions the various legends of the areas he visits, e.g. "Jesus" is buried in a tomb in Kashmir, various expectations of some "Maitreya" chacter coming to save the world. Overall, rather gloomy, and I got bored by his regular pro-Buddhist propaganda, e.g. "Buddha" being the "blessed one" and of his dismassal of the pre-Buddhist Bon-po faith as a "religion of demons".

2 comments about Ways of Thinking of Eastern Peoples: India, China, Tibet, Japan (Revised) (National Foreign Language Center Technical Reports).

1. This formidable volume has become a classic of sorts for those interested in Asian/Buddhist Studies. It was written in the mid-1940s by Nakamura, who is a Japanese scholar of Indian Buddhism, and was revised in 1962-3 through a series of conferences with the assistance of Western scholars. The volume is a comparative
   work attempting to outline differences between `ways of thinking` (an ambiguous term throughout the book) in India, China, Tibet and Japan. His means for accomplishing this dubious task mainly rely on linguistic analysis, and the development of Buddhism in each country, as well as an `assessment` of their cultural products. Nakamura`s goal is to debunk the notion of a homogenous `Oriental` or Eastern cultural set of values in opposition to `Occidental` or Western ones. Nakamura feels that this is a misleading dichotomy which needs to be dissolved or problematized, however, his work contains many idiosyncracies and outdated assumptions derived in part from the author`s own historical/intellectual context. It is definitely a more enriching read if one bears in mind that the book was written in Japan during and after the war, and was affected later by the largely Orientalist discourse still prevalent in Western scholarship. Furthermore, with half of the book devoted to Japan, one wonders what Nakamura`s justification or motivation for this might be, as he does not make it explicit in the text. With these considerations taken into account, the book stands on its own as a historical document in its own right. Definitely not for the faint of heart, this volume is recommendable mostly for those interested in the history of Asian studies, being indicative of some of the currents and trends that shaped the development of this area of study in the 20th century.



2. Professor Hajime NAKAMURA (1912-99) of Tokyo University, one of the leading and most productive scholars of Buddhism in post-war Japan, in 1947 completed the first draft of this study, an English translation of which was which was printed under UNESCO auspices in 1960. It was subsequently revised and expanded as a result of Nakamura's interaction with a number of prominent Western scholars such as Yale's Arthur F. Wright (Buddhism in Chinese History, 1959), and Hawaii's Philip O. Wiener, who edited the revised English translation published by the University of Hawaii Press in 1964.
   
   In his preface to the 1960 edition Wright describes Nakamura's project: ". . . No people in the world today is isolated from those world-wide movements of thought and belief which are tending to transform the lives of all peoples. But each people accepts or rejects, adapts and modifies the universal ideologies which reach them. What governs this process, and what is it which produces within each culture an amalgam which is at once part of a world-wide movement and distinctively its own? Mr. Nakamura considers the spread of the universal religion of Buddhism; and in Chinese, Japanese, and Tibetan responses to Buddhism -- as well as in the history of Buddhism in India -- Mr. Nakamura finds clues to certain fundamental and persisting characteristics of their differing modes of thought. These characteristics in turn help to explain their fundamental historical and cultural differences one from another and their variant responses to Western culture in our time."
   
   Ways of Thinking is subdivided into four major parts: INDIA, CHINA, TIBET, and JAPAN; and it may be helpful to point out that Professor Nakamura's wide range of interests and study qualified him to attempt such an ambitious project -- as indicated by the fact that early in his career he was awarded a special prize for his four volume history of early (Indian) Vedanta philosophy.
   
   Perhaps some sense of the issues and problems involved in Ways of Thinking can be gleaned from the table of contents for the section on Japan. It must be noted, however, that these not sound-bites to conjure up a social stereotype. Rather, they are serious topics which Professor Nakamura addresses at length with many examples and notes. And we are free to agree or disagree with his conclusions only after we have carefully read what he has to say.
   
   PART IV: JAPAN
   
   34. The Acceptance of Phenomenalism
   The Phenomenal World As Absolute -- This-Worldliness -- The Acceptance of Man's Natural Dispositions -- Emphasis on the Love of Human Beings -- The Spirit of Tolerance -- Cultural Multiplicity (Consisting of Several Strata Still Preserved) and Weakness of the Spirit of Criticism
   
   35. The Tendency to Emphasize a Limited Social Nexus Overstressing of Social Relations -- Social Relationships Take Precedence over the Individual -- Unconditional Belief in a Limited Social Nexus -- Observance of Family Morals -- Emphasis on Rank and Social Position -- Problems of Ultra-Nationalism -- Absolute Devotion to Specific Individual Symbolic of the Social Nexus -- Emperor Worship -- Sectarian and Factional Closedness -- Defense of a Human Nexus by Force -- Emphasis upon Human Activities -- Acuteness of Moral Self-Reflection -- Weak Awareness of Religious Values
   
   36. Non-Rationalistic Tendencies
   Indifference to Logical Rules -- Lack of Interest in Formal Consistency -- Slow Development of Exact Logic in Japan -- Hopes for Development of Exact Logical Thinking in Japan -- Intuitive and Emotional Tendencies -- Tendency to Avoid Complex Ideas -- Fondness for Simple Symbolic Expressions -- The Lack of Knowledge Concerning the Objective Order
   
   37- Problem of Shamanism
   
   For me Ways of Thinking easily deserves five stars: it is a great work by a great scholar. How does it compare with that well-known work on a similar theme, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: Patterns of Japanese Culture by Ruth Benedict (1887-1948)? Check it out.
   
   Professor Nakamura has long since dropped off the best-seller lists, along George Sansom (the great historian of Japan), Edwin O. Reischauer and John K. Fairbank (authors of the solid 2-volume set, East Asia: The Great Tradition), T.R.V. Murti (The Central Philosophy of Buddhism: A Study of the Madhyamika system), and many others who wrote just a few decades ago. Have their ideas and books been superseded and replaced by something better? No, they have just been blown away by the winds of fashion, just as the fashions of today will be replaced in turn. But if you are looking for a good read, they are names to keep in mind.

3 comments about Mr. Dimock Explores the Mysteries of the East : Journeys in India.

1. Mr. Dimock possesses a perspective on India that, few if any, Westerners will ever have. He is probably the only Western author who has been able to notice and accept the chaos of India. Mr. Dimock aslo has the unique insight of perceiving the order that arises from this choas. In his book he presents India to us as a place of constant comedy the humor of which is best understood by someone who is fimilar with the region and it's people. India comes across as a place of extremes where even the animals have a personality and express it in their own right. The book was funny and nostalgic at the same time. The ideas would have been best expressed in an Indian language but the limiations of English as a language used to recount India is also very amusing. The book is very highly recommended especially to those who live in mortal fear and awe of the place. Thanks! B



2. The great strength of this book lies in its brevity. Two-hundred pages divided by twenty chapters makes for fast reading, covering a wide variety of subjects. Edward Dimock is a man of the world; his depth of experience allows him to write with both fondness and irreverence. Early on he confesses himself to be an old fuddy-duddy, guided by the ancient Manu (like Dante and Vergil), yet is not above numerous and much-appreciated pop references to anything from Mel Brooks to Star Trek. For those of us who know choice little of India (let alone been there) Mysteries of the East is both didactic and hilarious. Dimock's a wonderful writer, quickly establishing a humorous tone while discussing otherwise weighty matters. The rhythm he works himself into had me anticipating his editorializing, even in the midst of the more luxurious description. He's always "on", always has a little something to say about his travels and discoveries, be they an American movie star in Agra or the island of Diu where Dimock "communes with the spirits" (my realization of what he meant by this caused me to laugh out loud; I was finally hooked). Dimock is a witty observer of detail, with a well-educated sense of comparison and contrast. The similarity between Santa Claus and Ganesha is nicely drawn, while the author is careful to distinguish between Sir Richard Burton and just plain Richard Burton. The Indians and Sahibs are allowed to speak for themselves either charmingly or boisterously, quick character sketches that add flavor to the cultural mix. Dimock also knows his Vishvamitra and Herodotus and lets these old-timers have their say. But as he himself writes, "It is no news to anybody that language is more than words", and some very fine study is put into his silent characters as well, everyone from Yusuf the waiter to Nikki the German shepherd. Dimock takes an obvious delight in the menagerie that is India, from thieving monkeys to a charging water buffalo, and a most striking non-speaking role is played by Gopal the elephant, whose astuteness and venerability Dimock compares favorably to his own father. He's correct in describing the glance of the polite pachyderm as sagacious: some animals--say, cows,--look right through you, but elephants look right at you . . . appraisingly. The change of scene in Part III of the book caught me somewhat off-guard as Dimock leaves India and travels to Aden and then back to New England. I thought the whole book was supposed to be about India, but I got to thinking about the title; the East. After all, Aden is in the Middle East, and Massachusetts is on the east coast, and both are plenty mysterious to me as well. The most memorable advice Dimock provides if one is to truly see India is that one must: 1. Meet a maharaja, whether he be sober or inebriated, 2. Ride an elephant to see an outdoor drama without trampling any of the locals, 3. See a ruby-eyed idol deep in a rain-forest straight out of The Jungle Book, 4.Take in a live performance by a cobra and its handler in the street, or at least stumble upon one of the great snakes out in the bush, or (Shiva willing) in one's own bathtub.



3. I am passionate for non-fiction books about India so this book was on my personal reading list. I will mention this: Something about Mr. Dimock's writing reminds me of that "lost" writing style of the 19th century. This is an absolutely fabulous book that unfortunately will probably be overlooked time and time again by readers. This is a book I will buy and always keep because it is so perfect in every way!

No comments about Let's Go India & Nepal 2002.